Miru Fleurs

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I really enjoyed this manga a lot, and thought it had a rather unique plot, yet sticking to the typical "shoujo" standard.

The story is about a girl, who met a boy in a beautiful garden five years ago. Suddenly, he moved with no reason as to why, and ever since has she looked after the garden [because he said she was allowed to, before he disapeared] wishing to see the boy again someday.
One day, she meets a rather mean boy who she recons remind her of the boy she met all those years ago... but is he?
And so the story goes on...
I know this ... sounds like the typical "girl meets boy after not seeing him for five years" kind of manga... but I am sure you will find a few surprises in the plot.
Some of them even made me cry... because... I didn't want to believe that really happened. xD

The only thing I could really say is a let-down of the manga is it's old art style [I have nothing against the art style... it is just that I have gotten accustomed to the more modern, versetile art style used nowadays].
It is in no way clustered, or annoying though. =)

One of the real ups about this manga, in my opinion, was the characters.
The main girl, Chika is a real cuty who loves flowers [something that goes through the whole manga]. However, she does develop throughout the manga [as seen by her actually giving her mother a bouquet in one of the chapters, where previously she started crying and threw a connondrum just of the thought of meeting her mother in person]. She also reflects a lot about what she would like to do in the future, because a lot of the people she encounter already has this maped out for themselves.
The main boy, Asakura is a real brainteaser. In the beginning he passes of as your typical mean-boy, I suppose. Sort of teasy at all times, and just plain... mean. He often comes into fight with Chika, and generally seems stubborn and unwilling to show he true emotions. However, from time to time, the reader is shown a softer, more relaxed him... which simply left me perplexed and puzzled, and intrigued me to get to know his full story. Because I simply knew there was something more to it than a rich man's child. =)

To sum it up- I really enjoyed this manga, and actually ended up learning a lot about flowers afterwards.
A very good manga to read for those who wants some old, shoujo stories with a cute little twist.

I haven't read any other works by Akimoto Nami, so I was pleasantly surprised at the level of sophistication present in such a short work. It's definitely worth a read if you enjoy shoujo manga or even just sentimental romance stories.
The story is very dense and detailed for the chapter count, and the author has a real ability to keep interest piqued in the plot. Unlike many try-hard love triangle where the outcome is set from the start, this one keeps you reconsidering who to root for. There are a great many satisfying twists and turns- written in a way where you can kind of ... guess where it's going but also just fresh enough that the twists feel rewarding and invigorating.
Where this work really shines is the art. Every single page is richly detailed with an overwrought, almost Baroque finesse that modern shoujo manga sorely lacks. I found myself comparing it to the work of industry giants like Naoko Takeuchi. The panelling is very organic and emotional, with page compositions that draw you into the story. When I think of shoujo, this is the art that comes to mind: sweet, rich, and dramatic.
The characters are all very well-developed, with realistic flaws and personalities for their respective age groups while never losing their appeal. The lead in particular hits that balance of portraying accurately how girls at the age think while never losing sympathy for her through her struggles.
Overall, I enjoyed Les Miru Fleurs- if you haven't read a shoujo romance before, this is a good place to start.